At the market she enters into a discussion with the fish seller. It appears the goldfish she wants is more expensive than she thought. Razieh and the fish seller eventually reach an agreement on a price, but when she reaches for her money she discovers it's gone. A search reveals that she's dropped it down a grating outside a closed shop.
She has a number of encounters as she tries to find a way to retrieve the money. She waits patiently in the tailor shop next door, while the owner and a dissatisfied customer argue. Eventually her brother shows up. He goes off to find the owner of the closed shop. Razieh talks to a soldier who comes from a town hundreds of miles away. These events add to the realism of the movie.
An Afghan balloon seller- a young child, comes along. The Afghan boy eventually sticks a piece of gum on the end of the pole, enabling them to get hold of the money. Razieh and her brother race off for the goldfish. The New Year's celebrations are just beginning. The final frame freezes the image of the solitary Afghan with a single white balloon on his pole.
The opening shot is a very long one. Panhai does not cut it until after a few minutes. I feel the purpose of this is to show the audience the atmosphere of an Iranian market. This is further achieved by Panhai’s use of noise in the background. This is used a lot by Panhai throughout the film. Traffic noises, radio talk shows blasting out from hidden “boom boxes” and off screen voice especially the unseen father inside the house, yelling at the other family members help create the realistic atmosphere that Panhai is aiming to create of real life in Tehran- be it on the streets or at home. What strikes the audience above all is the intellectual and visual clarity of Tehran life. The White Balloon gives “Western” viewers a rare glimpse into the real Iran. Here, freed of political shading, we meet the genuine inhabitants of Tehran, and, unsurprisingly, find that they're not all that different from us.
The audiences’ impressions of other characters are filtered through Razieh, so we see them as she does, whether they're strange, frightening, indifferent, or helpful. All the faces of humanity are represented, from a generous-but-ineffectual old woman to a sinister soldier who tells lies to gain the young girl's confidence. I think Panhai through this is showing how a child is forced to grow up when faced with adversity. In an era when politics and ethnic hatred turn groups against each other, it is productive to come across a film that reminds us of the universal human qualities linking people from different cultures together.
What is different about this film in comparison to other films is how stylishly it uses “real time” to take you into the countdown for the New Year. Repeated radio reminders show this. In fact the film is roughly an hour and a half and at the start of the movie we are told that there is an hour and a half till the New Year. I feel the purpose of the repeated reminders serve as a way to create the desired tension that Panhai wants for the audience; who are constantly thinking “Will Razeih get her gold- fish?” We see early on in the film that Panhai introduces the audience to familiar places. We are introduced to the snake charmers and the specific attention that it is given early on in the film shows to the audience that it will play a reasonably significant part in the film.
The plot movement and structure of the film is linear- there are no flashbacks. Panhai does this intentionally, as flashbacks would have distracted the viewer from Razeih and her problem and also the sense of real-time. The White Balloon proves that movies don't have to have a complicated plot to succeed. The character of Razieh is such an endearing character. Razieh demonstrates the degree of determination, perseverance and courage, which the filmmaker obviously admires and wishes to instil in his audience. Her performance is very natural. Her voice is scratchy and she is constantly whining which further adds to her credit, as it is a very accurate portrayal of a seven year old.
One of the themes Panhai seems to be stressing is that of rebellion. Razieh has heard over and over again, 'It's not good for girls to watch the snake charmers.' But as soon as she is on her own, Razieh joins the forbidden attraction of the snake charmers. And later she says, “I wanted to see what it was that was not good for me to watch.” Razieh does this, because she has the courage to do it. The confrontation between the little girl and the snake charmers, are suggestive and convincing of a regime where so much is forbidden-particularly to females. The audience sees the rebellious nature of the women in Iran represented in Razieh.
The final shot is of the Afghan boy, smiling just seconds ago, now saddened, and alone with just one white balloon that he did not sell. The shot is powerful as the film ends with our impression of him lingering in our minds. The little girl's adventure seems to be just one little story told; and, now, we can easily forget about her. But the Afghan's loneliness remains etched in our mind, as it affects the sensibilities we have about family life and makes us reflect what it is to be a foreigner in a country where family life is so cherished. It leaves the audience thinking not about any of the celebrants but about what is going to happen to him, how will he celebrate the New Year. Furthermore it is a reminder that there is always a person who needs a helping hand.
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